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Martell Al-Din
Name: Martell Al-Din (Redguard, 43), is a man of equal influence to a minor noble or knight. He is renowned for being hot-blooded, yet somehow inheritantly calm and cool. Officially, he has come to Daggerfall to represent his family and establish trade agreements. Unofficially, he's come to have a good time. Appearance: Hailing from the Iliac, Martell features the somewhat paler complexion of the average Sentinel Redguard, his skin deeply tanned but not overly dark. With a height of 6'2, Martell usually stands taller than his fellows. He is lean and wiry in physique, like a young lion, even though he has started to age. He has lengthy black hair that is beginning to grey at the temples, and a short, neatly trimmed beard to match it, complementing his tanned skin. His eyes are a rich dark brown capable of producing an incredibly piercing gaze. He has aged supremely well and still retains a very handsome look. Skills: Like all Redguards he is a naturally talented warrior, skilled with all manner of swords, from the hand-and-a-half, to the cutlass, scimitar and dagger; in a place like Sentinel, where the ethos of the warrior wave is still held in high-regard, it's almost impossible not to have some skill in combat and be taken seriously. However his true talent and preference lies with spears. He prefers to wield them without a shield. He is also quite a skilled horseman and formidable with a lance. His style of battle means that he is more suited to doing his own thing rather than being in command, making him more a duelist than a soldier. He is also said to have considerable prowess in the bedroom; a claim that isn’t entirely self-perpetuated. However, Martell is not only a fighter and lover, he is also a thinker. Among his interests include the study of philosophy, mathematics, poetry, art, public speaking, animal husbandry (horses in particular), magical theory, alchemy and Dwemer archaeology. Weapons, attire, misc: Martell’s wardrobe favours light silks and satins, usually in golden, scarlet or copper hues, and includes various surcoats, tunics and cloaks. He also owns a few chains, rings and amulets, in gold and silver. He always carries with him a long, thin dagger with a wide crossguard, worn at his waist. With him also is a spear baring a broad, bladed head and a well-crafted falchion. He owns an impressive collection of swords and spears at his home in Sentinel. He owns a suit of chain armour consisting of a helm, cuirass, and vambraces, allowing him to remain quick on his feet. His horse is a coal black stallion named Herod. Personality: To say Martell Al-Din is a passionate man is putting it lightly. Everything he does – drinking, fighting, lovemaking, speaking, reading out a shopping list – is done with a certain daring bravado and zeal. He is a somewhat carefree man, who is out to have a good time and live a good life, filled with adventure and revelry. This often put him at odds with the religious and austere upper echelons of Sentinel's society. His escapades with women – both common and noble alike – has made him something of a legend (or disgrace, depends who and where you ask), and he will often be found enjoying some young lass if he has time on his hands. As a side effect, he also has quite a number of bastards around the place – seven that he knows of – but he ensures that they are well cared for, sending them coin and visiting from time to time. He has a few issues when it comes to authority – believing that each man and woman should be free to make their own way without the nobility (or in Sentinel's case the constantly bickering factions of Crown and Forebear) dominating every aspect of their lives – which has ruffled a few feathers. That is not to say that there aren’t people in power that he respects, he just has very strong opinions on what a noble is supposed to do with their title. As such he has often found himself in the role of a "people's champion", using his skill at arms to further their cause and protect their rights. Like many of the Redguards of Sentinel, he holds a certain animosity towards the Bretons of High Rock, most particularly their old rival of Daggerfall, although he does see merits in their culture. He has no problem let his distaste for them be known. However, his distaste for the overarching Sentinel culture is even stronger; part of the reason he is often found on the road or otherwise far away from the city. History: Al-Dins are a wealthy merchant family in Sentinel of some influence who made their fame through war and their fortune through trade. Martell’s father, Joor Al-Din, a venerable man in his late seventies, remains the family patriarch, although most of the trade business is operated by his wife and eldest son, Shazara and Razul, with Joor handling the politics. Martell was the youngest of five siblings and was thus rarely burdened with the same responsibilities as his elder brothers and sisters, largely left to pursue his own interests. As his family were traders, they often met with other trader families in their guild, and Martell grew to be friends with many of them. In particular, the Al-Dins and the guild they were part of were renowned for their support of the Lhutonic movement. This meant that they often drew the ire of more traditional Forebear affiliated guilds (and to a lesser extent Crown affiliated). However, the Al-Dins themselves, through careful politiking, managed to earn the High-King's personal favour, and were largely untouchable. Though the rest of the guild families didn't have the King's ear in the same capacity, the Al-Din family was renowned for their position at court, and thus the other families were "protected" by their influence. However, this did not last. When disagreements occured between various guilds and the local government, the Ra'Gada took matters into their own hands. One by one, families were put out of business and they had little in the way of challenging them, as the Al-Din's influence could only go so far in protecting them. Further, they couldn't even recieve backing from opposition Crowns by nature of being Lhutonic. The young Martell watched as each of his childhood friends was reduced to begging in the streets or evicted from the city. He quickly came to resent the restrictions and flaws within the heavily factionalised system of government in Sentinel, which resulted in him largely shunning their various ideals, preferring to follow his own morals. Once he came of age he left the city, wanting to explore the world and more importantly get out of Sentinel. Since he came of age he has travelled far and wide; he travelled to Morrowind with a group of explorers to study Dwemer ruins, spent a year living among the Saxhleel in the swamps of Black Marsh, served in the Fighters Guild in Cyrodiil for a time, and climbed the Seven Thousand Steps to High Hrothgar in Skyrim. Learning about and experiencing other cultures did little to endear him to what had become considered the norm of Sentinel society. After years away from his home he returned to Sentinel to find that the conditions were even worse than when he had left. Virtually none of the family friends he had known as a child had retained their wealth and position. So he began to play the political field of Sentinel, usually acting as a proxy for those who had become impoverished, regardless of what faction they had suppored. This caused a great deal of friction between him and his family, who were tenuously able to maintain their position due to their familly's lineage and place at court, but Martell's actions would inevitably lead to direct confrontation against the Forebears especially. Much to their good fortune however, Martell often left the city where he spent his time exploring more of his own homeland. He fought in competitions, sailed on a few trading barges and even performed in a few travelling plays (anything to get away from his home). Every so often he did the odd bit of work for his family, but they made sure it took him far away from Sentinel, which suited him just fine. As a result of this, he became rather good at trade negotiations and usually volunteered (when he wasn't already off doing his own thing) to negotiate contracts with other city guilds, as it often took him far away from Sentinel and the poitical turmoil within. Otherwise he spent his days doing as he pleased. Of the Al-Dins he was known for being the best fighter and fun at parties, but also the most politically outspoken: traditionally he was liked by common people and a pain in the side for everyone else. In recent years, the Al-Din fortunes have taken a bit of a dip, and it was decided they needed to increase trade with Sentinel’s old rival; the Kingdom of Daggerfall. It was agreed that Razul would go on the family’s behalf, as not only was he politically nuanced but someone that - unusually - had been able to curry some favour with both sides, but after falling from his horse during a hunting accident and breaking his leg, he was unable to travel. So it was that the family turned to Martell, and he was sent in his stead, even if not strictly the most suitable person to deal with politics or the model Sentinel citizen (which Martell would consider a good thing). He agreed the moment they asked, even before he knew where it was they were sending him (a chance to leave Sentinel again? There was no way he'd miss this opportunity). Hence, Martell now finds himself in Daggerfall, tasked with seeking out the various dukes and counts and forging trading agreements with them. But, of course, he’ll have a little bit of fun while he’s there (and by that, fun for Martell, not necessarily anyone else). Category:Redguard Category:Nobility Category:Characters